DS Library

[Lady Jaye]

Well, Daigasso Band Brothers is actually quite engrossing. (well, ok, just like in Donkey Konga, I could go without the royalty-free junk songs like "When The Saints are Marching in"..., but the good songs on the card definitely outnumber the not-so-great).

Each song in the game is divided into instruments. So you play it once for the guitar, once for the bass, once for the drum, etc. Each section's difficulty level is indicated by the number of stars (the higher the number, the more difficult it is).

Daigasso also has a very nifty score edit mode, whereas you can create your own song. When you start the game you have access to a basic editor (that captures sound via the mike), and there's a pro version unlockable in "studio recording" (ie. career) mode.

[ClubNinja]

Well, Daigasso Band Brothers is actually quite engrossing. (well, ok, just like in Donkey Konga, I could go without the royalty-free junk songs like "When The Saints are Marching in"..., but the good songs on the card definitely outnumber the not-so-great).

Each song in the game is divided into instruments. So you play it once for the guitar, once for the bass, once for the drum, etc. Each section's difficulty level is indicated by the number of stars (the higher the number, the more difficult it is).

Daigasso also has a very nifty score edit mode, whereas you can create your own song. When you start the game you have access to a basic editor (that captures sound via the mike), and there's a pro version unlockable in "studio recording" (ie. career) mode.

How ignorant-English-speaking-gamer friendly is this one? Looks very appealing.

[Lady Jaye]

Well, there is plenty of Japanese katakana in the game, but I've heard that it's mostly the Edit mode that's most difficult to navigate. The rest, you can figure out where to go by pressing here and there. For instance, pretty soon you know that, when pressing Start on Practice mode, that the top option is "Resume", the second one is "Restart song" and the third one is "Return to song menu".

The image below is the main menu for solo play. In practice mode (that's the one on the image below that says "1 hour, 1,000 yens on the left), you have three buttons accessible on the touch screen. The left-hand button is autoplay (the game plays the song with the notes to show you. You can play along). The top-right button is Play selection (you play for a score of up to 100. You unlock harder difficulty via the recording studio mode). The lower-right button is return to song menu.

Anyway, I have no knowledge of Japanese whatsoever, and I'm still really enjoying it. However, I admit that, once Jam with the Band is released, I'll probably like it even more since I'll know exactly what is what in the game (that supposes that the game will be identical, save for the localization the song selection).

[Jasoco]

I bought a DS at launch day, and while I knew all the good games wouldn't be out until the end of the next year, I still feem bad ofr all the kids whose parents bought them one for Christmas only to find out the games would be few and far between for a while. Not too many goodies IMHO. I have 3 games so far for it, and only one is actually worth the $30. I have a PSP and the three games I bought were $40 each and have far more fun factor. (Well, not really as fun as Mario 64. Ape Escape is no Mario 64. What the PSP needs is a Crash Trilogy, Spyro Trilogy or a new Jak game.)

Nintendo, I love my DS, but lately I've been sleeping with the enemy because you don't seem to care as much as Sony does. Sony came into the handheld market arms flailing with all weapons ready. There were like 20 games available days BEFORE the system. And a good chunk was top teir. Especially Lumines and Ridge Racer. And more are coming out every month in droves. (Tomorrow if I'm lucky, Mercury.) What happened to you, Nintendo? (In case you didn't gather, my dream of collecting all DS games went out the window the second I bought the PSP.)

[suppafly]

I sold my Ds with 3 games. I saved a little more money and now im looking for a PSP...

[Sebastian]

Now, all this power and so far every other game has been lame.

Well for me it is like this:

1. If I buy a DS, I would buy it for the interesting gameplay that the touch screen offers
2. If I were to buy a PSP, I would buy it because it offeres more advanced graphics for a handheld

In other words I would buy the DS for the touch screen options, and NOT for the graphisc improvement over the SP

and sadly so far not many games use the touch screen option to its full potential. actually in many DS games the aproach to the touch screen is "we didn't really know what to do with the seconds touch screen so we decided do this [insert lame and usless option here]"

Naturally not saying that all DS games are like that. But this shoulc truly be a system of new games (hell maybe even new genres) designed for the use of the touch screen.

And giving me stuff like a Map or a menu on the second screen just makes me go " x_x "

anyone agrees?

[dbiersdorf]

Thanks for proving my point =P . I haven't tried Yoshi's yet, but I'm going to. However I hear its just a gimmicky game like Wario and Feel the Magic, which I am not interested in even the least little bit. I want Goldeneye, platformers, Metroids, Zeldas, Castlevanias, not farming, car driving, and blowing on my DS to watch a sailboat move.

Let me ask you something, when has Nintendo ever been out of the gate with those games? They take time for christ sake. Guess what, the DS has been on the market for a measly 6 months. Now I realize your antsy to get your piece of hardware rolling, but it's called patience. You fail to understand that it takes time for systems to get games worth noticing, aside from maybe one or two (in this case Super Mario 64 DS).

Remember the GameCube? We had Smash Bros., that's about it up until Super Mario Sunshine the following August. Remember the Nintendo 64? We had just about Super Mario 64 to hold us off for a year until we had anything really worth paying attention to. PS2? Same problem. Xbox? Yup. The Nintendo DS is doing just like almost every system has done when it's launched, and before you know it you'll be palying Meteos, Kirby, and much, much more by summer time.

Patience is a vritue, ever heard that saying? Use it.

[Lady Jaye]

One DS game that's about to be released (this month, according to Nintendo Power), is Need for Speed Underground 2 DS. I don't know whether it's a good game or not, but at least it's not just another collection of mini-games.

[Jasoco]

Yeah, instead it's just another crappy overpriced EA title. bah.

[suppafly]

Yeah, instead it's just another crappy overpriced EA title. bah.

And it doesnt take advantage of the DS´s touchscreen. And when it comes to graphics, anyone will agree the PSP will have a version with better graphics.

I´d love to see a Zelda on DS...now THAT would be cool

[Avatard]

Actually I think using the touch screen as a map in Castlevania is going to be the best thing since, well, since SSBM. So I won't complain if it doesn't take advantage of a touch screen.

[boatofcar]

Remember the GameCube? We had Smash Bros., that's about it up until Super Mario Sunshine the following August. Remember the Nintendo 64? We had just about Super Mario 64 to hold us off for a year until we had anything really worth paying attention to. PS2? Same problem. Xbox? Yup. The Nintendo DS is doing just like almost every system has done when it's launched, and before you know it you'll be palying Meteos, Kirby, and much, much more by summer time.

Or you can sell your DS and get a PSP, wait for the DS price to drop to $100, pick it up again and this time have some games to play with it. I promised myself I wouldn't fight the next gen portables war, but the PSP has just about won me over.

[cue picture of 3 PSPs and one DS]

[le geek]

I bought a DS too early. Oh well! Part of me wants to sell it and part of me wants to wait it out. At least my girlfriend can play the urbs while I play Neo Geo!

Cheers,
Ben

[Lady Jaye]

Actually I think using the touch screen as a map in Castlevania is going to be the best thing since, well, since SSBM. So I won't complain if it doesn't take advantage of a touch screen.

Actually, there were screenshots of Castlevania DS in the latest Nintendo Power, and the actual game screen will be the touch screen, while the top screen contains the map/item menu.

BTW, the charadesign of Castlevania DS, even though it's a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow (it's set one year after the end of AoS), replaces the usual androgenous look by an anime-style design. It doesn't really affect the gameplay look, although it's supposed to be lighter-looking than the GBA Castlevania (fear not, it doesn't look all that cartoony at all, from what I've seen).

[Zubiac666]

just wanted to add some new screens from some upcoming games.

Goldeneye Rouge Agent DS : INFO and SCREENS(you have to admit that they look great for DS'ses 3D capilities)

Shogun Warrior :The lost Army: INFO and SCREENS
wow!just wow! it makes perfect use of the DS touchscreen and it looks graphicly impressing too

Jissen Pachislo Hisshohou! Fist of the North Star
Now that's weird!Packinko meets fighter(?).


Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
This IS the US version of the jap. lawyer-game "Gyakuten Saiban"
Screens from the US build:

[Sylentwulf]

Just my 5 cents.

I got a DS for my birthday, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten either, handhelds aren't my thing.

Feel the magic is great and probly worth the $30. Wario Ware is a complete and utter disaster waste compared to the first one.

My complaint about the DS? Yes, it has a touch screen, that doesn't mean every game HAS TO USE IT. I haven't played ANYTHING with the control pad or buttones yet, which is just stupid. Use the touch screen as an ADDED FEATURE, not the main way to control everything.

Reason not to get the PSP? Price, not only the ridiculous console price, but the unbelievable $40 per game price. Honestly, I am pretty well off right now, and I can't even fathom spending the money some (of you) people spent on this thing, that's just nuts Of course, I get flamed to hell for spending money on a cable modem, and monthly payment MMORPGS, but $310 on a handheld with one game is kosher eh?

[Lady Jaye]

Mario 64 DS is mainly controlled with either the pad/buttons (actually, I only use the stylus in M64DS for the mini-games, not the main game).

Daigasso/Jam with the Band uses mostly the d-pad and buttons (you do sometimes have to hit the shoulder buttons or the touch screen, but not as often). In fact, the touch screen is mostly used for menu navigation, not so much for gameplay control.

[zmweasel]

My complaint about the DS? Yes, it has a touch screen, that doesn't mean every game HAS TO USE IT. I haven't played ANYTHING with the control pad or buttones yet, which is just stupid. Use the touch screen as an ADDED FEATURE, not the main way to control everything.

But every DS game *does* have to use it--else, why have it in the first place? Nintendo has to justify that touch-screen's existence.

The silliest-looking parts of Castlevania DS are the touch-screen aspects in which you rub away blocks or draw "seals" to defeat bosses, but without those aspects, it'd be a GBA title (and was, before Konami decided to release it on the DS instead).

-- Z.

[Sylentwulf]

But every DS game *does* have to use it--else, why have it in the first place? Nintendo has to justify that touch-screen's existence.

If you're serious, that's like saying every PS2 game needs to use the R3 and L3 button, else why have it? Hell, most games don't even use the right analog stick at all, and it still serves it's purpose fine.

[ClubNinja]

But every DS game *does* have to use it--else, why have it in the first place? Nintendo has to justify that touch-screen's existence.

If you're serious, that's like saying every PS2 game needs to use the R3 and L3 button, else why have it? Hell, most games don't even use the right analog stick at all, and it still serves it's purpose fine.

I agree. Instead of worrying about the touch screen, I'd rather developers concern themselves with the dual screen aspect of the device. Loads and loads of fine games could take advantage of that, yet never use the touch screen. I see the "touch" aspect as a feature, not a necessity. Just like R3 and L3. And the right analog stick on the XBox controller, which I've personally never used. It's just another control option. (I don't think they should be marketing based on the touch screen, either. Just to cover my bases there.)